Attachment for stringed instruments.



Patented m 2, mm;

A. msf scu. ATTAGHIENT FOR STBINGED INS'TBUIEITSQ (Apphcat nfllul July 17 1900) (No mau 1/ lj i f wf .1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT P IETSOH, OF MIL\VAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,427, dated July 2, 1901.

Application filed July 17,1900. Serial No. 23,971. (No model.) 7

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT PIETSCH, a citizen of the United States, residing .in the I city and county of Milwaukee, State of Wis cousin, have invented a certain new and usef ul Improvementin Attachments for Stringed Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, wherei n-.'

Figure 1 is an end elevational View of my improvement and a cross-section through the neck of a guitar, looking toward the body por' tion, showing my attachment applied thereto, and also the means for securing and adj usting the same to the neckof the instrument, some of the casing of the attachment being removed to partly show the interior arrange,

ment to the neck of the instrument.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in attachments for stringed instruments of that class shown and described in United States Letters Patents Nos. 523,37 3 and 546,457, issued to me July 24, 1894, and September 17, 1895, respectively.

The object of this invention is to provide a device in which all parts act freely, noiselessly, and with as little friction as possibly can be arrived at.

With this object in view the invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts comprising my device, as will hereinafter be described, and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, A indicates a suitable double-walled box or casing, preferably of sheet metal and open at its bottom, of which the inside wall affords bearings of the several moving parts.

B and 0 indicate two rods mounted in the case near each end atthe lower edge thereof, upon which are mounted double links D and E, respectively. Pivotally mounted on the opposite ends of these links so that they will move in parallel lines are presser-bars G, which I found best to centrally provide at their lower edges with rod or bar springs S for the purpose of causing the presser-bars to promptly return to their normal retracted position after operation. These springs are well secured to the presser-bars by any suitand by the application of the double links D and E the motion of the presser-barswill be of the required uniformity, byfar more steady I and regular than in the attachment patented to me before, in which single links are applied. Projecting from the lower edges of presserbars G are fingers F, the location of which on the presser-bars depends upon which fret it is desired for a particular lever to operate. The acting part of these fingers is bent to form a spring, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by which they are materially improved, as they will thus act like the human fingers. By this new arrangement each of the strings will effectually be acted upon. They may be placed on somewhat rounded or on flat necks without causing too much strain on either of them, whereby the inequality and the hard metallic sound of the tone will entirely be prevented.

Upwardly at different points along the length of the presscr-bars and well secured to thesame are projections or teeth T, which at their upper end are bent at a right angle to afford an extended bearing-surface upon the cross-rods R and prevent wear of the contacting parts. Said bends are in perfect line with said crank cross-rods, which latter extend transversely the box. These double-crank cross-rods R are independent of each other and rest loosely upon the teeth-bends immediately beneath them, which teeth may project from any of the presser-bars that it would be desirable to operate by the actuation of the particular cross-rod located thereabove. As will be seen in the detail drawings, Fig. 4, both ends of the cross-rods R are rectangu larly bent, so as to form cranks, the pivots of which are introduced into corresponding openings in the sides of the inner casing.

4 limited, as with this device I canmake any The part of R forming the cross-rod I provide with a cover of some soft material, as cotton or woolen cloth, &;c., to prevent any noise durlng actuation. By the introduction of the leverpower of this double-crank cross-rod the operation of my attachment will be materially facilitated, and it will therefore bear a decided improvement relating to that patented to me September 17, 1895, No. 546,457. In the mo ment one of the crank cross-rods R is forced downwardly it depresses the presser-bars whose teeth-bendsare located immediately beneath the same, and the fingers F elastically contact with the string to most harmoniously make the chord originally designed' Relating to playingon the instrument, it will be understood that the strings will have to he picked in the ordinary way, as the fingers F only take the place of the operators fingers in the different frets to obtain the different chords. The number of presser bars is not chord on any fret, as may be required.

The cross-rods R are actuated by the keys K, which latter are formed, with their foot part L, out of one piece, preferablyof sheet metal. They are properly secured to the corresponding upper edge of the inside casing A,

allas shown in the drawings, Fig. 1. It is of importance that the keys be durably constructed and easy to be operated, that they keep their position without any tendency .to

1 move sidewise or to be apt to get out of order,

and that they fully transfer the pressure of the finger to the mechanism in contact therewith. r In the application of broad strips of sheet metal, and in such shaping or bending of the same'that including in its range an ex- The end Walls 'tensive foot part is produced, I have fulfilled these conditions, as fully shown in the drawings.

of the casing are provided with a device to'support the attachment above the strings, which consists of two angular pieces of substantial sheet metal, in which 9 represents projections for the inclosure of the neck of the instrument. a are angular stands and provided to keep the required space or distance between the strings and the attachment.

. the details belonging thereto.

embracing the sides of theinstruments neck,

while the ribs a, properly secured to the device, will sufficiently space the attachment from the strings. The fastening of the device to the-end walls of the casing A is offectuated by the hooks h, bolt-screw p, and the nut n. It is brought in position by placing the slit 8 of its one part upon the corresponding slit 3 of the other, while the hooks h, projecting in the form of short strips of sheet metal from the end walls of A, pass through the slitss' s, after which they have to be .bent accurately to form the hooks. Next the bolt-screw 10 is applied, so that its head rests against the inside wall of A, finding passage through both walls of the same (which have no special interspace here) and the slits s s of the device, as shown in the detail drawings, Fig. 6. It now will be understood that the projections e 6 can easily be brought to exactly embrace or fit the sides of the i nstrumentsneck by sliding both parts of the device accordingly, whereafter n is tightened, and thus the adjustment secured.

Secured to the sides near the edges of the end walls of the casing are straps O, which are provided with eyelets for the reception of the hooks of rods Q,which latterare mounted between the two walls of the casing and soarranged that they can be drawn upward by a screw-thread and the nut U, by which means the attachment can readily be fastened to the neck of the stringed instrument, as

also shown in the drawings.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I wish it distinctly understood that I do not 'claimin an attachment for stringed instruments the combination with a suitable casing nor of pivot-rods mounted in the casing, as

have been used by myself in combination with single links pivotally'mounted on the rods, presser-bars mounted upon the free endsof single links, fingers on the presser-bars,'nor any other of the details in combination with the aforementioned parts, as fully described in my patent dated September 17, 1895, No. 546,457; but

What I do claim as invention, and desire to secure by' Letters Patent, is-

1. In an attachment for stringed instruments, the combination with a suitable double-walled casing, of pivot-rods B, G and V mounted inthe casing, of double links D and E pivotallymountedon rods B and O, presserbars Gmounted on the free ends of the douments, the combination with a series of independently-movable presser-bars G, which are provided with fingers F for contacting with the strings of the instrument, double-crank cross-rods R which extend across the entire nest of presser-bars G and whichare pivotally' mounted in the casing, and teeth T extending up from said Presser-bars and having angular V of the keys K, a nest of Presser-bars G with teeth T projecting upwarditherefrom and arranged beneath the double-crank cross-rods R, double links D and'E upon which. said presser-bars are mounted, springs's for normally holding the presser-bars in'an elevated position, and fingers F projecting from the resser-bars G and in line with the' strings;

substantially as described. a

4. In an attachment for stringed instruments, the combination, with a suitable double-walled casing, of double crank cross-rods mounted in the casing,.and presser-bars G,

provided with teeth T and fingers E, which are operated by the double-crank cross-rods; substantially as described.

5. In an attachment for stringed instrumerits, the device for supporting and adjusting'the attachment above the strings, consisting of two parts each with a projection e and a stand a, corresponding slits s, s, s, s to be connected with both ends of the attachment by the hooks h and the bolt-screw p and to be adj ustedabove the strings on theneck of the instrument by said slots and hooks, boltscrew 1) and nutn, all substantially as shown and specified.

6. In an attachment for stringed instruments, the device therefor for fastening the same to the neck of the instruments which consists of the rods Q and the straps 0 provided with eyelets for'the reception of the corresponding book of the rods Q, which latter areprovided with a screw-thread and a nut U so that they canbedrawn upward,

substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to-this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 

